


Koala

by imaginethat57



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, mild references to homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 20:51:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13151796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginethat57/pseuds/imaginethat57
Summary: Maggie always has a tough time dealing with the holidays. But lucky she's got Alex, and a great coping mechanism- lots of cuddles.





	Koala

**Author's Note:**

> This was a one shot written for my Holiday Fanfiction Giveaway, prompted by tumblr user agent-dvnvers.

Alex huffed a little when she felt arms wrap around her middle, but a smile was already beaming across her face. She could practically feel Maggie’s own smile forming as the woman’s cheek was pressed against Alex’s neck. Maggie molded her front to Alex’s back completely and rested her chin on Alex’s shoulder. She said nothing, she just held on firmly yet comfortably. The blanket Maggie had taken from the couch and wrapped around her shoulders wrapped around both of them now as she had folded Alex into her sleepy embrace.

“I’m trying to cook.” Alex murmured, and Maggie just snuggled closer because she could hear the joy and contentment in her voice.

“I know. You got up.” Maggie mumbled into the soft fabric of Alex’s sweater and made no effort to let go of her girlfriend. Alex chuckled a little and patted Maggie’s hands where they locked loosely together around her middle. Maggie hummed a little and pressed a lazy kiss to Alex’s shoulder.

Alex was no cook, she knew, but she had wanted to make something for Maggie tonight after the week she’d had. Just something simple to show she cared, that she was there, that Maggie wasn’t alone. She felt she needed to remind Maggie of that now more than ever.

The holidays were always a rough time for Maggie, it just served to remind her of the rift between her and her family. It had been no different this year, and it had been compounded by a particularly difficult case that Maggie had worked.

As per usual, Maggie had heard nothing from her family. No invites to spend the holidays with them, no well wishes, no contact at all. None, except for the card from Maggie’s great aunt with a picture of a crucified Jesus on the front and a verse from Leviticus printed inside, as well as a pamphlet for some conversion camp masquerading as a “path to holiness.” The only message written in her aunt’s scrawling script was, “Think about it.”

Alex had ripped it up and thrown it in their fireplace, then pulled Maggie in for a tight hug. It was immediately obvious how much Maggie needed the embrace when she had wrapped both her arms and legs around Alex like a koala bear. They had been seated on the couch at the time, so it had resulted in Maggie essentially straddling Alex’s lap. Alex had drawn circles on Maggie’s back with her fingertips until Maggie had fallen asleep. After that Alex had stood with Maggie still clinging to her, head dropped on Alex’s shoulder heavy with sleep, and carried her to their bed. Maggie had continued to cling to her throughout the night, and Alex had happily let her. Truthfully, she was glad to see Maggie leaning on her for the support she needed. Maggie had gone so long without anyone to be that support system for her.

From there her week had only gotten tougher. A fourteen year old girl had gone missing, and Maggie had been assigned the case. It had quickly become personal though, when Maggie started seeing herself in the girl. A young kid, trying to be true to her identity, with parents who didn’t care and weren’t even trying to accept who she was. It had turned out that she’d run away, which had been no surprise to Maggie. Nor Alex, when she told her about it. Maggie had found the girl, cold, alone, trying  _ not _ to be found. And even though the girl was safe, it had taken its toll on Maggie.

That was when Alex had noticed a particular habit of Maggie’s becoming more prominent. Maggie would cling to her more and more often. Most nights this past week when Maggie returned from work, if Alex had beaten her home Maggie would shrug off her coat, kick off her boots and pad wordlessly over to Alex. She would then encase her in another koala embrace, and usually not let go for a good hour; longer, if neither of them had to do anything.

When Maggie clung onto her front, Alex would wrap her arms around Maggie too and whisper comforting words into her ear. When Maggie was holding onto her back like a small human shaped jet pack, Alex would periodically take one of Maggie’s hands and kiss the palm, the thin, soft skin of her wrist, her knuckles.

Maggie wasn’t being particularly vocal lately, choosing to express herself instead with her actions. Alex didn’t press, she knew Maggie needed time to reflect on everything going through her head before trying to express it. And sometimes, she just needed to be quiet, to let her mind rest. So Alex alternated between words of encouragement and little physical displays of affection. Maggie was still having a hard time, that Alex couldn’t do much about. But her efforts seemed to be making a difference, as she found she was always successful in getting a smile out of Maggie, even if it was just a little one. The pride Alex felt at being able to provide that comfort, to be a good partner, was something she didn’t want to let go of.

It was how they ended up that night, two days away from Christmas, and Alex making her most valiant effort at cooking spaghetti and meatballs, with Maggie clinging on to Alex from behind yet again. She rested her head against the back of Alex’s shoulder, the height difference made it the perfect spot to press her cheek. Alex had started humming softly, and Maggie’s eyes were closed as she listened. With her arms still wrapped loosely around Alex’s middle, Maggie was following wherever Alex went mindlessly. To an observer, it might have appeared to be as much a slow dance as an embrace.

Alex turned the burners of the stovetop off and moved to the side. She reached up tall to grab two plates, then began dishing the pasta. “Do you want to eat now? Or hold on for a little while longer?”

“What time is it?” Maggie mumbled into Alex’s shoulder, she’d yet to move her head.

“A little after eight.” Alex answered, taking a bite of a meatball where they still stood. She couldn’t help it, she was starving. But she wouldn’t make Maggie break the embrace if she wasn’t ready.

Maggie’s stomach started to rumble then too, as she was enveloped with the enticing aroma of food. She’d already napped when she’d gotten home, and if she kept lazing about she’d probably never get to sleep tonight. So, reluctantly, she released Alex and took a step to the side to reach for her own plate of spaghetti. Alex missed the warmth immediately. Maggie rubbed Alex’s back, a little gesture meant to give comfort after she’d been seeking so much of her own this past week, and Alex placed a peck to Maggie’s nose.

“Come on, let’s eat dinner on the couch tonight. Your favorite Christmas special is on, I think.” Alex said as she took her plate and a glass of red wine from the kitchen to the living area, Maggie following behind her.

“The Grinch?” Maggie asked, face lighting up a little. The soft glow of the lights from the Christmas tree they’d put up the previous weekend cast a glow on her face from where it was standing proud by the window, and Alex was mesmerized for a moment.

“That’s the one.” Alex said with her own smile. She grabbed another soft throw blanket off the back of the couch after having set her food down on the coffee table and wrapped it over her shoulders the same way Maggie had done with hers.

Both women settled onto the couch, Alex turned the TV on, and located The Grinch with ease. Maggie snuggled into Alex’s side, and tucked her feet up on the couch. Cozy once more, she dug into her food. The meatballs were a little overcooked, but Maggie couldn’t have pictured anything better in this moment.

“I don’t know what I would have done without you this week.” She murmured as the intro to the movie sounded out.

Alex turned to Maggie, she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, and kissed Maggie slowly but deeply.

“We won’t have to find out.” It came out as a whisper, and a promise. 

Maggie dropped her head to rest on Alex’s chest, and turned her focus back to the movie. Alex felt much of her own tension from the week dissipate, and she combed her fingers through her love’s hair as Maggie listened to her heartbeat peacefully.


End file.
